Emma Hardiek blasted two home runs and Jaidi Davis scattered six hits, helping the Effingham Lady Hearts post a 12-1 Apollo Conference victory Saturday at home against Mt. Zion in the opening game of a doubleheader.

In the nightcap (only the first game counts in the conference standings), the two teams combined for 36 runs and 31 hits, with the Lady Braves coming out on top, 21-15.

In the opener, Effingham held a slim 4-2 lead when it came to bat in the bottom of the fourth. Davis led off with a double and Hardiek followed with the first of her two-run shots. Before the inning was over, Sawyer Althoff added a two-run double to increase the EHS lead to 6-1.

The Lady Hearts then ended the game with a six-run sixth. Abby Cunningham had an RBI single, Althoff drove in a run with a triple, Riley Cunningham added a two-run double and Hardiek then closed things out with a two-run bomb over the leftfield fence.

Davis allowed the six hits and one run, while walking one and striking out five in her 78-pitch performance.

The nightcap was a slugfest. Mt. Zion had 16 hits and Effingham 15.

The Lady Braves exploded for eight runs in the first inning, added five in the second and tacked on three more in the third. But the Lady Hearts did their share of damage, too. They scored five runs in both the first and second, tacked on three more in the third and added a single tally in the fourth and trailed only 16-14.

But Mt. Zion scored two in the sixth and three more in the seventh to secure the win.

Taylor Armstrong had three hits for EHS, while Davis, Hardiek, Abby Cunningham and Jacy Boatman each had two. Hardiek ended the twin-bill with six hits. In the second game, she had a three-run homer in the second and added an RBI triple in the contest, giving her six hits, including three round-trippers, and eight RBI in the two games.

Riley Cunningham was the starter for Effingham and took the loss.

The Lady Hearts are now 13-7 overall and 3-2 in the Apollo Conference. They will play at home Tuesday against Mahomet-Seymour.